THE chairperson of the House of Representatives’ committee on constitutional amendments has expressed readiness for congressmen led by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to start the grand debate on Charter Change as early as January 2018.
Southern Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado, panel chairperson, said the House was eyeing to pass House Concurrent Resolution 9 directing both chambers of Congress to convene into a constituent assembly to rewrite the 1987 Constitution.
“I am confident House Concurrent Resolution No. 9 can be expedited and be ready by or before January 2018. HCR No. 9 already has a committee report that consolidated several measures,” Mercado told reporters.
The switch to federalism was among the 27 legislative measures branded as priority by the Duterte administration during the Legislative- Executive Development Advisory Council-Execom meeting last August.
“The House is therefore able to back up Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez when he meets Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III,” Mercado said.
“We have support from our colleagues in the House to get their approval on HCR No. 9 in the near term and on the proposed amendments when Congress is convened as a constituent assembly,” Mercado added.
Congressional leaders earlier agreed to create a joint technical working group composed of congressmen and senators to draft the proposed revisions to the Constitution in the absence of the 25-man Constitutional Commission to be created by President Rodrigo Duterte.
House Majority Floor Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas earlier said the House and the Senate might tap six to 12 members each in the joint TWG to form a working draft that would be submitted to Congress which would convene itself into a Constituent Assembly to push federalism.
Alvarez earlier said Congress would likely convene into a Con-Ass early next year.
The House leadership said Con-Ass was the best mode to amend the Constitution as this would save the government millions of pesos.
This, compared to a Constitutional Convention where lawmakers need to elect delegates for the task of amending the Charter.